It is scheduled for the day of today the arrival in Cairo of an Israeli delegation for further hostage talks, while Israel still continues to await a response from Hamas to the latest proposal to release hostages in exchange for a truce. “We are still waiting for Sinwar’s response,” an Israeli source said, quoted by the Walla website, referring to the Hamas leader in Gaza.
According to sources cited by Channel 12, quoted by the Times of Israel, the Israeli government would have included “drastic” concessions in the offer to Hamas, and a deal could be reached quickly if Hamas gives up its demand for an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
40-day truce and ‘potential’ release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners: the offer
Hamas has been offered a 40-day ceasefire and the release of “potentially” thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages still in Gaza, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced yesterday during a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh. The Palestinian organization was made “a very generous offer of an extended 40-day ceasefire, the release of potentially thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of these hostages,” Cameron said.
Blinken: “The only obstacle to the ceasefire agreement is Hamas”
”Hamas is the only obstacle to a ceasefire agreement” in the Strip, the words of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday speaking at the World Economic Forum and addressing a message to Hamas, which he asked to ” decide soon” on the proposed agreement. The region is facing ”probably the worst crisis in the Middle East since 1948,” Blinken underlined, reiterating that the United States is ”trying to end the conflict in Gaza and ensure that there is no escalation” ‘.
According to Blinken, ”Hamas faces an extraordinarily generous proposal from Israel. And right now the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas. They have to decide and they have to decide quickly. And I hope they will make the right decision.”
Egypt “confident” about negotiations
The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, meanwhile said he was “confident” about the new truce proposal. “The proposal took into account the positions of both sides and tried to achieve moderation,” Shoukry said, as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks.
International tribunal and possible arrest warrants for Israeli officials and Netanyahu, US fears
However, there is growing concern among the United States and its allies that possible arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli officials could upset a delicate balance as Israel nears an agreement with Hamas, the correspondent reports New York by Ynet, citing informed sources.
Tel Aviv is carrying out a concerted effort to thwart feared plans by the international legal body to issue arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior figures, the Times of Israel reported on Sunday, citing Israeli government sources. his government. According to the sources, in particular there is a fear of indictment in which Israel would be accused of “deliberately letting the Palestinians die of hunger in Gaza”.
Israel warns: “European countries recognize Palestine? Award to terrorists”
“Every declaration” on the possibility that some European country recognizes the Palestinian state is “a reward for Hamas terrorists”, warns meanwhile on X the spokesperson of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Oren Marmorstein, according to whom “the world and Europe should focus at this time on the immediate release of the 133 abductees and on the destruction of the terrorist organization Hamas.” “Those who promote a different agenda – he denounces – are playing into the hands of Hamas and hindering efforts to reach an agreement on the release of those kidnapped and a humanitarian ceasefire”.
The spokesperson’s words come after yesterday’s declarations by the High Representative for European Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, according to which “several EU states will recognize Palestine by the end of May”.
